The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 77, No. 80, Ed. 1 Monday, February 1, 1999 Page: 1 of 12
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Baytown Sun and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Sterling Municipal Library.
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What’s Inside
Opinion, 4-A,
Study Buddies
Cedar Bayou forms
new student group
Bulletin Board..
.2-A
Opinion......
... 4-A
Classifieds.......
,.3fl
Police Beat...
...2-A
Comics........
,.6-A
Sports.......
...1-B
Obituaries.....
,.5-A
Television....
... 2-B
Buck Young
Revisiting
Robert E. Lee
Superbowling
Drag racers prep
for big event
e Paptotam Inin
Volume 77, NO. 80
■■■■■I
Telephone Number: 281-422-8302
Monday, February 1,1999
Baytown, Texas 77520
50 cents per copy
Feel the Need for Beads
The Baytown YMCA kicked off its 1999 Partners of Youth campaign last
Friday with a Mardi Gras theme party. In the photo left, little party-goers
Danielle Sowell, Keith Jordan, Tai’ney Rose, Dequiaran Reid, Brendon
Chadman and Jordan Parchman pose with Carole Opryshek and David
Ondrias. In the photo below Doug Huddle and Judy Hunter join in the
festivities.
Photos by Carrie Piyor-Newman
Rotintree looks back on career as Baytown city manager
By PAUL GANNON
The Baytown Sun
There is no doubt that retired city manager Bobby
Rountree will be missed by the Baytown City Coun-
cil and those citizens who know him.
Council made its appreciation clear at his farewell
gala Friday, his last working day as a city employee.
Although Rountree says he will miss the people
more than the job, Baytown Mayor Pete Alfaro
made it clear to Rountree that he was not just a good
person but a good city manager, too.
A look over the city’s accomplishmenrts with
Rountree in office shows much of what the city has
to be proud of today went through his hands.
But, as city manger, he was not one to stand in the
limelight. Instead, Rountree preferred to defer the
credit to public officials or volunteers with whom he
worked. He says the city has become what it is today
because of the work of citizens willing to donate
time and compassion.
“We have been able to get the citizens involved in
improving the quality of life in Baytown,” Rountree
said.
Some of the successes during his career Rountree
is most proud of include:
Passage of the 1991 bond program; at $53 million
it is the largest in the city’s history.
Completion and implementation of the city’s
comprehensive plan developed to guide and prepare
for the future of Baytown.
Parage of the neighborhood protection ordinance
which brought zoning to Baytown.
The Goose Creek Stream greenbelt project.
The Baytown Nature Center.
The Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Center.
Passage of the Crime Control Prevention District.
Rountree says that these projects are things the
city accomplished as a community with the help of
citizens who share common understanding of the fu-
ture of Baytown.
“When we share the same vision and do not care
who gets the credit, there is no limit to what a com-
munity can accomplish,” he says. “There is a lot re-
maining to be accomplished but the Baytown com-
munity has a ‘can do’ attitude with volunteers eager
to do whatever is necessary to make Baytown a bet-
ter place to live. I can’t say enough about the value
of volunteers and citizen participation,” he says.
Even though the city has become a friendlier
place to live in over the past decade, there are still is-
sues that must be addressed in the future to make
Baytown a better city. One thing Rountree says the
city must be ready to deal with are infrastructure
needs, especially aging sewage pipes.
“The concrete sewer pipe used'20 and 30 years
ago has deteriorated and is causing cities all over the
Gulf Coast problems,” he says.
Over time gasses from sewage eat away at the
concrete pipes causing them to .break up and poten-
tially allowing sewage to leak.
“Although we have been addressing the problem it
will take millions of dollars fo resolve,” Rountree
says.
Another future issue he says the city will face is
growth. He calls this “a good problem.”
As most residents know, there is significant
growth expected north of the city along Interstate 10
where additional public utilities will'be needed. The
city has recently made significant headway into a
sewage extension project in the area.
“The next three to five years will be a growth pe-
riod for Baytown and with new growth comes addi-
. tional revenue for support. However, there is always
a lag time before the city sees the new revenue; so,
city services will be stretched during that time,’ he
says.
One problem Rountree sees in the city’s future is
one not isolated to Baytown. It is voter apathy, and
Rountree admits he is not sure how to change.it. So
far, Baytown has benefited from elected officials
who care for the community, he says.
“But voter apathy could change that,” he says. “It
doesn’t matter what type of local government we
have ... what matters is the type of people running
pur local government.”
Old River Baptist Church set to hit the airwaves
By JEFF RIGGS
The Baytown Sun
God’s word will soon be communi-
cated through the airwaves for the fust
time in the history of Old River Baptist
Church, a period since 1944. The Rev.
Danny R. Biddy believes that with the
help of radio he can reach a lot more
people with the gospel.
“If you can’t get people to the church,
you’ve got to bring the church to the
people,” he says:— - -
Biddy says Old River Baptist Church
will join other churches conducting
similar programs approximately March
1 or April 1. The program will be aired
from 7:30-8 a.m. Sundays on KSHN,
99.9 in Liberty. The broadcasts will
consists of Biddy’s sermons by tape.
“I have found that after having been
here as long as I have, that God has al-
lowed me to make lots of friendships,”
says Biddy. “This is not just those with-
in the church, but also those outside the
church. This is an opportunity to reach
some of them with the gospel message.”
Biddy said the half-hour sermon will
be prefaced with a lead-in about the
content of the program. After the ser-
mon, he plans on featuring acknowledg-
ment of the sponsors.
. “All the support (operating money) ty,
from outside the church,” he says. “I
asked some of the people I knew that if
I got the messages on radio, if they
would listen. They said they would not
only do that, but would help put it on.”
The price of airing a 30-minute seg-
ment for churches on Sunday morning
is a nominal $50.
“I’ve been planning this for about a
year,” Biddy says. “I just had other pro-
jects and commitments which took the
lead, and I had to put this on the back
burner.”
Biddy said the program will bt
recorded professionally.
“We have a better recorder than a cas-
sette recorder. I wanted to do a quality
broadcast, not just something tapes off
the microphone,” he says. “What we
have is a state-of-the-art digital recorder
which allows editing.” v
Biddy is adamant that his motive in
airing the program is not profit.
“I don’t care about the money,” he
said. “I just want to reach the many we
are currently missing. The Lord put the
notion on my heart.” .
Alfaro
Restaurateurs
take gloves off
with purchase
of full-page ad
By PAUL GANNON
The Baytown Sun ' ■
Baytown city councilmembers say they are not
surprised by an advertisement in The Baytown Sun
paid for by the Baytown Restaurant Association.
The advertisement says the proposed smoking or-
dinance “is big government gone mad.”
The advertisement charges that
council is “set to pass a new ordi-
nance to prohibit or restrict tobac-
co use in all public places” which
would punish those who use to-
bacco in public places and those
who don’t make a reasonable ef-
fort to stop others from using to-
bacco in public places. Offenders
face up to a $2,000 fine.
The full-page political adver-
tisement that ran on Sunday en-
courages, readers to “tell our city
council to leave us alone.”
Joyce Barker, president of the Baytown Restau-
rant Association, declined comment and referred all
comments to her attorney, who failed to contact The
Sun.
Two city councilmembers and the mayor were
available for comment’ from the city. They all
agreed that the advertisement is
iii i ii im not something that will affect
Hr their decisions.
BitlilSi 1 “This is just a scare tactic, this
thing with ‘big government’”,*
says councilman Manuel Escon-
trias.
“I said before, it is going to get
ugly before it gets better,” he
says.... . y _________A , ■
that is why he would like to
see the ordinance placed on the
agenda and’voted on as soon as
possible.
Mayor Pete Alfaro says he would like to wait be-
fore voting on the issue to collect more data so the
city can make an informed decision, and in case the
ordinance is passed the city can use the data to sup-
port the decision. He says the ordinance is under re-
view because council would like to improve the
quality of life of people in Baytown.
“Each of us assumed the responsibility, when we
took the oath, to protect the safety and health of this
community,” Alfaro says.
Escontrias says he has seen enough data and al-
ready decided he likes the idea of a stronger smok-
ing ordinance. He says the advertisement does not
surprise him and he is not swayed at all by it. Es-
contrias is ready to vote on the issue and the longer
it is prolonged, the more outspoken supporters and
opponents it will be.
“I’m ready to vote on it. I don’t want to prolong it
any more,” he says.
Councilman Frank Hinds says he doesn’t blame
the restaurant association for placing the advertise-
ment in the paper. . ‘
“These people they feel like their fighting for
their rights,” he says.
Although Hinds says he likes the idea of a smok-
ing ordinance for health reasons, he is not ready to
vote on the ordinance. He would like a task force to
be farmed of supporters and opponents to come to a
middle ground on the issue that would be more
agreeable to more people.
Alfaro says the advertisement is not accurate
where it says council is “set to pass a new ordi-
nance.” He says the proposed ordinance is only un-
der review and has not been put on the agenda as
something council will consider. Council will fur-
ther discuss the proposed ordinance at a work ses- r
sion before the next council meeting on Feb. 11.
Escontrias
News tip? Call 281-422-8302
www.baytownsun.com
For home delivery, call 281-422-8302
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Dobbs, Gary. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 77, No. 80, Ed. 1 Monday, February 1, 1999, newspaper, February 1, 1999; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1019581/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.